Charlie and Wally are nervous. Scotland appear at their first World Cup finals since 1998 this weekend. Will Clydeside’s unofficial/official distillery limited edition release be the one to pour if there’s something to celebrate?

With the Classic Laddie displaying its 10yo label once more, Ramsay picks up what’s only his second ever Laddie and asks if our tendency for nostalgia is well-placed, or potentially harmful.

Sometimes we place unrealistic expectations on things, based on our own dreams and memories, building up inevitable ‘failure’. The return of Arran’s 14yo has Wally wondering if we’re all just after a ‘hot take’.

Broddy gathers seven bottles of SMOS Reserve Cask Small Batch releases in a single mega review. He justifies his scoring for each while dropping a bombshell of heresy about oatcakes.

Ogilvie’s been in a huff. Challenged by a lack of interesting bottles, he finds himself faced with shelves of taupe. Until a ‘consolation’ bottle of New Riff Malted Rye from a Sherry Cask lights up an evening.

Charlie continues his deep dive into new distilleries (to him), this time uncovering the two ‘Glens’ of Ord and ‘Dullan, then comparing two Special releases to indies from James Eadie and the Thompson Bros.

Earie uses some Big Words to describe reviewing decent, earnest whiskies in an independent way. This time it’s another flight of Dram Mòr releases from spring 2026. Including a sneaky malternative.

As an advocate for bottle splits, Earie enjoys a souvenir from a pal - one of the Equinox & Solstice releases from Decadent Drinks - this time an under-the-radar Mannochmore.

Archie feels there’s a fairly newborn distillery that deserves a little light shone on them and apologises for an almost three-year hiatus from Dramface. He makes up for it with a duo review.

In whisky, when is a finish not a finish? Fergie tackles a recent Small Batch form Glasgow and asks when it’s actually more like a secondary maturation. The 6yo Amarone ‘finish’ is in the glass.

Charlie wraps up a trio of Official vs Indy articles with a distillery which has yet to nudge the needle on the whisky enthusiast scanner, he wonders why as the distillery launches a 12yo flagship.

Over time, Ainsley thinks the Scotch whisky landscape builds into a mental whisky bell-curve where favourites lie to one side and lesser malts the other. But what about the in-betweeners, such as this Cadenhead’s Miltonduff?

Facing an ever-expanding stash of samples, Archie decides to get torn into a pack of Tri Carragh samples he was sent last year, most of which are still available, and some of which are belters.

An homage to the past from Bruichladdich; their unabashed, self-indulgent celebration of a twenty-five year long renaissance. Nick, Murdo and Ramsay step up to review the new 10yo Old Skool.

Remember the ‘good ole days’ as kids where we ranged far and wide fearlessly. Memories of those days in playgrounds bring a contrast to the newer playground designs where sharp edges are banned and children protected. Reflecting, Mason finds a tasty Peat Monster from the back of the cupboard which he has a soft spot for.

Archie takes a stroll down Memory Lane to share tales of his early attempts to ‘sell himself’; a pre-modern day influencer. He thinks of how things are so much different as the brand-new Aberargie arrives.

Despite finding frustrations with transparency (that thing again) and general presentation, Earie is pretty pleased to find a flavoursome value bomb from Teeling in their Douro Old Vines Sommelier Selection.

Some distilleries deserve a second chance, such as this Aber Falls Welsh single malt. Their clumsy start was arguably to aim too cheap. Others however, make a second chance a hard sell.

None of us realised how tenacious Gilbert was, until he went all out to get the best out of his 2026 Malts Festival Glen Scotia; with a food and sip diary. Too much information? We say not enough!

Betraying his age as well as his sense of humour and movie preferences, Archie surprises himself with a low-expectations bottling from Lagavulin: their new 11 year old Sweet Peat.